Dickson begs workers over unpaid salaries

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has appealed to workers in the state to show understanding over their unpaid salaries.

Dickson said his government deserves commendation not condemnation in the payment of salaries of civil servants in the state.

Dickson has recently been in the eye of the storm over unpaid salary arrears of workers in the public and civil service.

Just as he is said to owe the civil servants for two months, those in the state’s departments and agencies are owed up to five months. The workers in the local governments in the state are owed between five months and one year.

Dickson in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, on Friday, faulted reports that his government owed above two months.

He explained that the Bayelsa State Government remained one of the least indebted states in terms of salary arrears to its workers in the country.

The governor said his government had always fulfilled its salary obligations, until after the last elections, occasioned by the free fall in the state’s monthly allocation from the Federal Government.

He said the government had to borrow a number of times to make up for the shortfall to ensure that salaries were paid.

He explained that while borrowing to pay salaries was not going to be sustainable, the state government had decided to look inwards by taking steps to strengthen the Internal Revenue Board to improve on the state’s Internally Generated Revenue profile.

According to him, the government is not relenting on meeting its salary commitment to civil servants, adding that out of the three months, one month has been paid while efforts are being intensified to ensure that the situation is brought under control.

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